Town News Briefing

December 21, 2001

OLD SAYBROOK

Woman Sold Drugs

From Hotel, Police Say

OLD SAYBROOK -- A 25-year-old woman has been accused of selling crack out of a local hotel room.

Police charged Sasha Swain Wednesday night with sale of cocaine, possession of crack with intent to sell, possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia and risk of injury to a minor. She is free on $10,000 bond.

Swain allegedly lived in and sold drugs out of a room at the Old Saybrook Motor Hotel, a 24-room budget hotel at the intersection of Route 1 and North Main Street. A police investigation began following complaints about drug activity there.

Police seized about $6,000 worth of crack cocaine during the arrest, police said.

Swain is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Middletown on Jan. 2.

WESTBROOK

Town Considers Buying

Westbrook Place Property

WESTBROOK -- The town is looking at buying property at 36 Westbrook Place that could be used for office space and parking, First Selectman Tony Palemo said at Thursday's selectmen's meeting.

Palermo said he has been in touch with the real estate agent for the 1 1/2-acre property. It is not on the market and is being offered to the town for $199,000.

The property is in the center of town and could fit well with the downtown revitalization committee's plan for parking, Palermo said.

Palermo said he will ask that the property be held for 90 to 120 days although he was not sure how much that would cost the town.

OLD SAYBROOK

School Board Nixes

Student Trips Abroad

OLD SAYBROOK -- High school students will not be able to take planned spring trips abroad to Rome, France and Argentina, the school board decided at a recent meeting.

While some other school systems in the state immediately canceled student trips overseas following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan, the school board here put off a final decision, hoping the situation would become safe enough for travel, Superintendent of Schools Sal Pascarella said Thursday.

There is also a moratorium on student trips to major cities within the country although it will re-evaluate those on a case-by-case basis, Pascarella said. ``We don't want to put these kids in a place of risk,'' he said.

The music department separately decided to drop a trip to a band competition in Virginia. However, Pascarella said another band trip is being planned.

NORWICH

Detective Admits He Drank

Beer During Sting

NORWICH -- A police detective has admitted to drinking beer while driving a minor around the city on a sting targeting alcohol sales to minors, The Day of New London reported Thursday.

Detective Mark Lounsbury, who drove the police van used in the undercover operation the night of Nov. 30, made the admission last week to Deputy Chief Warren Mocek, according to unnamed sources cited by the newspaper.

Mocek is overseeing an investigation into a misconduct complaint against several police officers, including Lt. James F. Daigle.

Daigle, who was promoted to lieutenant last month, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Lounsbury told Mocek last week he bought beer at a liquor store that was targeted in the sting. He said he drank at least one beer in the van, sources told the newspaper.

Lounsbury and Daigle are accused by 20-year-old Kristen Ejchorszt of Norwich, who volunteered for the sting, of drinking beer in the van as they drove from package store to package store during the sting.

Ejchorszt also claims that Lounsbury drank one beer and offered her one. She has said she did not accept the beer.

The department has taken no action against Lounsbury, who declined to comment.

``I have been interviewed by my deputy chief, but I can't tell you one way or the other about it,'' said Lounsbury, a 13-year member of the police department. ``This is an investigation, and it is being taken seriously.''

Drinking alcohol while driving a motor vehicle is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail or a $500 fine.

NEW HAVEN

Water Line Break Floods

Cancer Center Basement

NEW HAVEN -- Cancer patients had to go elsewhere for radiation treatments Thursday after a water line break flooded the basement of the Yale Cancer Center.

The break poured about 5 feet of water into the basement of the Hunter Radiation Therapy Building about 6 p.m. Wednesday. The flood destroyed computer hardware used to operate radiation equipment, said hospital officials. Patients were notified Wednesday night of the closure and were told of alternative locations for treatment.

Some power in the outpatient treatment center was shut off, as the area housed a 440-volt power transfer system. The water main was finally shut off at 10:45, officials said. The break affected the pneumatic system used to shuttle blood to the emergency room across the street, but hospital officials said workers were able to transfer the blood manually.

It was unclear Thursday when radiation treatments would resume. Phone messages were left with officials at Yale-New Haven Hospital.